No. 1 : Quick Recipe
Personal Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- 3 Cups Berries
- 1 TB Orange Zest
- 1 TB Orange Liquor
- 12 oz Neufchatel or Light Cream Cheese, softened
- ½ Cup Pumpkin Puree
- 3 TB Nonfat Greek Plain Yogurt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 Large Egg Whites
- ¼ tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 3 TB Fine Raw Sugar
Step One
Preheat oven to 325F. Place fruit in a bowl and stir in liquor and orange zest. Set aside.
Step Two
Beat cream cheese for 1 minute on medium-high speed or until fluffy, Add pumpkin, yogurt, sugar, salt and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Add eggs and whites, one by one, scraping bowl as needed.
Step Three
Spoon mixture into 6 – 8 small ramekins until ¾ full. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until middle is set. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature. Cakes may crack or fall in middle leaving a perfect spot for fruit. Simply spoon on top and serve.
No. 2 : Kitchen Smidgen
You may have heard that soufflés are hard to make, fussy and French and not worth the effort. Au contraire, mon ami! Some recipes may be difficult, but not this one. You can watch them puffing up in the oven in just a bit – and even when they deflate as they cool – they are STILL just as yummy, light and savory.
No. 3 : Get Creative
Individual ramekins are a good kitchen purchase; they are inexpensive and versatile for not only this recipe but also dozens of other kitchen uses.
No. 4 : Wine FIND of the Week
– El Gordo Verdejo
– Castile and Leon, Spain
– Whole Foods about $13
You’ll taste the flavors of Apples, Pears and Tropical fruit- which all sing with the herbaceous flavor of the basil and parsley in these creamy light soufflés. You may not be familiar with Verdejo – a Spanish grape, but once you taste it I think you’ll be placing it on your shopping list more often. Crisp and clean tasting, its a super match with salads and veggie dishes.